MT SPANISH BUIILDER (2006 Ed) 25/9/07 10:22 am Page 1

SPANISH
LANGUAGE
BUILDER
Hodder Arnold
A MEMBER OF THE HODDER HEADLINE GROUP
MT SPANISH BUIILDER (2006 Ed) 25/9/07 10:22 am Page 2

Michel Thomas, 1914–2005

Michel Thomas, the internationally renowned
linguist and language teacher, who was awarded the
Silver Star by the US Army for his bravery in the
Second World War, died of heart failure at his home
in New York on 8th January 2005. He was 90.

To find out more, please get in touch with us

For general enquiries and for information about Michel Thomas:
Call: 020 7873 6400 Fax: 020 7873 6325
Email: michelthomas-enquiries@hodder.co.uk
To place an order:
Call: 01235 400414 Fax: 01235 400454 Email: uk.orders@bookpoint.co.uk
You can write to us at:
Hodder Arnold, 338 Euston Road, London NW1 3BH
www.michelthomas.co.uk

Unauthorized copying of this booklet or the accompanying audio material is

prohibited, and may amount to a criminal offence punishable by a fine and/or
imprisonment.

First published in UK 2001 by Hodder Headline, 338 Euston Road, London NW1 3BH.
Copyright © 2001 Thomas Keymaster Languages, LLC. All rights reserved.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means,
electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without
permission in writing from the publisher or under licence from the Copyright Licensing Agency Limited. Further
details of such licences (for reprographic reproduction) may be obtained from the Copyright Licensing Agency
Limited, Saffron House, 6–10 Kirby Street, London EC1N 8TS, UK.
Typeset by Transet Limited, Coventry, England.
Printed in Great Britain
Impression 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2
Year 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006
ISBN 978 0 340 78971 1
MT SPANISH BUIILDER (2006 Ed) 25/9/07 10:22 am Page 3

Introduction
Who was Michel Thomas?
Michel Thomas was head of the Michel Thomas Language Centers and
taught languages for over fifty years, primarily in New York, Beverly Hills,
and London. He was a graduate of the Department of Philology at the
University of Bordeaux, France, and studied psychology at the Sorbonne
(Paris) and at the University of Vienna. However, it was his remarkable life
experiences that fuelled his passion for teaching languages*.
Michel spent most of his childhood in Germany and France. With the rise
of Hitler, he began his years of escape and resistance. He spent two brutal
years in French concentration and slave labour camps, constantly
threatened by deportation to German death camps. He escaped and fought
for the French Resistance, surviving capture, interrogation and torture.
Michel’s wartime experiences, particularly his torture by the Gestapo when he
discovered the ability to block out pain, made him aware of the untapped
potential of the human mind. However, it was his deeply held conviction that
the biggest weapon in maintaining a free society was education that drove
him to devote his life to probing the learning process. Michel moved to Los
Angeles in 1947, and he set up a language institute in Beverly Hills. Over a
period of fifty years, he developed a unique and revolutionary learning
system that made him the world’s leading language teacher.

What is the Michel Thomas method?

Over a period of fifty years, Michel Thomas developed and perfected a
unique method of teaching languages**. In essence, he breaks a language
down to its component parts and enables learners to reconstruct the
language themselves to form their own sentences, to say what they want,
when they want. The experience of learning a language becomes so exciting
and satisfying that it stimulates self-motivation and builds confidence.
*For a full account of his fascinating life, read ‘Michel Thomas: The Test of Courage’ by
Christopher Robbins, published by Hodder and Stoughton
**U.S. patent 6,565,358
MT SPANISH BUIILDER (2006 Ed) 25/9/07 10:22 am Page 4

4
Who is the Spanish Language Builder for?
People who have already learned Spanish with Michel Thomas
The Language Builder does just what its name suggests: it builds on the
language Michel teaches in his Foundation (8-hour) and Advanced courses.
It does this in two important and inseparable ways: by echoing the
Foundation (8-hour) and Advanced courses to review key structures, while
at the same time presenting new idioms (which are heard and used all the
time in everyday Spanish but which are very rarely taught). This dual
approach means that you painlessly review what you have learned as you
simultaneously expand the range of your working and functional knowledge
of the language.

People who have learned Spanish using other methods

You may have learned Spanish before and now want to brush it up for a
holiday or business trip, or perhaps you are looking for a new approach to
help with revision or to re-motivate you: either way, the Language Builder
will give you a real insight into how the language works and will boost your
confidence to speak.
You may find that it takes a while to get used to Michel’s innovative way of
teaching – it is certainly quite unlike any other method you will have come
across – but once you have experienced the excitement of painless learning
you will be hooked!

What does the pack contain?

The pack comprises approximately two hours of recorded material plus a 48-
page booklet. The recordings are available on CD or audio cassette and
feature Michel Thomas alone. To avoid wasting recording time, there are no
pauses on the recordings, but you are strongly recommended to use the
pause button on your player for maximum learning (see below). The booklet
contains the key words and phrases to help you with written Spanish, but you
do not need to use it at all if you just want to concentrate on improving your
speaking and listening skills.
MT SPANISH BUIILDER (2006 Ed) 25/9/07 10:22 am Page 5

How do I use the recordings? 5

● Relax!
As far as possible, make yourself comfortable before playing the recordings
and try to let go of the tensions and anxieties traditionally associated with
all learning.
● Interact fully with the recordings
Use the pause button to stop the recording so that you have time to think
out your translations. Then say the phrase or sentence out loud (or in a
whisper, or in your head, if you are in a public place), before Michel does.
This is essential. You do not learn by repetition but by thinking out the
sentences yourself; it is by your own thought process that you truly learn.
● Stop the recording whenever it suits you
You will notice that the recordings are not divided into lessons*** so it is
easy to stop wherever you want.

What level of language will I achieve?

The recordings will give you a practical and functional use of the spoken
language. Michel Thomas teaches the everyday conversational language that
will allow you to communicate in a wide variety of situations, empowered
by the ability to create your own sentences and use the language naturally.

How can I go on to improve further?

Obviously, nothing compares with first-hand contact with native Spanish
speakers, but if this is not possible for you, and if you have mastered the
language in the Foundation (8-hour) and Advanced courses, Michel
recommends reading Spanish newspapers and magazines as one of the best
ways to keep up and extend your language. Interviews are particularly good,
as they reflect Spanish as it is actually being spoken, rather than the language
taught in schools or textbooks. You could also try the Michel Thomas Method
Vocabulary courses. See the back of the booklet for details.

***Tracking breaks have been inserted on the CDs: you may find it helpful to make a
note of these (or the timings, if you have audio cassettes) in this booklet to help you get
back immediately to where you left off or to review specific points
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6
Who has Michel Thomas taught?
People came from all over the world to learn a foreign language with Michel
Thomas – because his method works. His students, numbering in the
thousands, included well-known people from the arts and from the
corporate, political and academic worlds. Michel’s list of clients included:
● Celebrities: Emma Thompson, Woody Allen, Barbra Streisand, Warren
Beatty, Melanie Griffith, Eddie Izzard, Bob Dylan, Jean Marsh, Donald
Sutherland, Mrs George Harrison, Anne Bancroft, Mel Brooks, Nastassja
Kinski, Carl Reiner, Raquel Welch, Johnny Carson, Julie Andrews, Isabelle
Adjani, Candice Bergen, Barbara Hershey, Priscilla Presley, Loretta Swit, Tony
Curtis, Diana Ross, Herb Alpert, Angie Dickinson, Lucille Ball, Doris Day,
Janet Leigh, Natalie Wood, Jayne Mansfield, Ann-Margaret, Yves Montand,
Kim Novak, Otto Preminger, Max Von Sydow, Peter Sellers, François Truffaut,
Sofia Coppola.
● Diplomats, dignitaries and academics: US Ambassador to France, Walter
Curley; US Ambassador to the UN, Joseph V. Reed; Cardinal John
O’Connor, Archbishop of New York; Anthony Cardinal Bevilacqua,
Archbishop of Philadelphia; Armand Hammer; Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of
York; Professor Herbert Morris, Dean of Humanities at UCLA; Warren
Keegan, Professor of Business at Pace University in New York; Professor
Wesley Posvar, President of the University of Pittsburgh.
● Executives from the following corporations: AT&T International, Coca-Cola,
Procter & Gamble, Chase Manhattan Bank, American Express, Merrill Lynch,
New York Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Boeing Aircraft, General
Electric, Westinghouse Electric, Bank of America, Max Factor, Rand
Corporation, Bertelsmann Music Group-RCA, Veuve Clicquot Inc.,
McDonald’s Corporation, Rover, British Aerospace.

What do his students say?

Academy® award winning director and actress, Emma Thompson (as
quoted in the Guardian): ‘The excitement of learning something new was
overwhelming. Michel not only taught me Spanish, he opened my eyes to
MT SPANISH BUIILDER (2006 Ed) 25/9/07 10:22 am Page 7

the possibilities of a completely different kind of learning. Michel forbids his 7

students to practise, or to try to remember. Michel takes the burden off the
student and upon himself… Learning Spanish with Michel was the most
extraordinary learning experience of my life – it was unforgettable.’
New York film-maker Woody Allen, (as quoted in USA Today and Business
Life): ‘I am a poor student, particularly with languages. I had years of
Spanish in school and could never speak a word... (but) learning with
Michel: it’s like a kid who loves baseball and who just knows every ball
player, every batting average, every statistic about the game. They’ve
learned it all effortlessly. It’s the same with Michel. You learn a language
effortlessly. It is amazing. (He)…had me speaking French and I learned it in
a way I’ve never forgotten, and it was painless. A tremendous experience.’
Customer feedback
‘I am writing to congratulate you on the highly original and successful
language courses by Michel Thomas; I am currently working on German
and French while my daughter, at my suggestion, has bought the Italian
course.’
R Harris

‘I have now finished the eight cassette Italian course and would like to say
how pleased I am with it. I am a scientist, with all my neurones in the side
of my brain that deals with understanding, and next to none on the side
that deals with memory. This has meant my ability to retain vocabulary and
learn a language has been about as bad as it comes. Against all odds, the
Michel Thomas course has left me with a real sense of achievement, and a
tremendous basis for further progress in learning Italian.’
T A Whittingham
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MT SPANISH BUIILDER (2006 Ed) 25/9/07 10:22 am Page 9

Recording 1 9

Vamos a comenzar / We are going to start

vamos a empezar
comenzamos / empezamos we’re going to start
empecemos let’s start
Me gusta ... I like ...
Me gusta estar aquí I like to be here

Quiero hacerlo pero ... I want to do it but ...

lo haré, lo hará I will do it, he/she/you will do it

no lo haré, no voy a hacerlo I won’t do it, I won’t do it

hoy porque ... today because
... estoy muy ocupado ... I’m very busy
... estoy demasiado ocupado ... ... I’m too busy
... para hacerlo ... to do it

Tengo ganas de ... I feel like ...

Tengo ganas de hacerlo I feel like doing it
No tengo ganas de ir allí I don’t feel like going there
No tengo ganas de quedarme aquí I don’t feel like staying here
Tengo ganas de salir I feel like going out

Me parece que ... It seems to me that, I think that ...

creo que ..., pienso que ... I believe that ..., I think that ...
Me parece que ella no tiene It seems to me that she doesn’t
ganas de ir allí feel like going there

Estoy de acuerdo con usted I agree with you

De acuerdo OK, agreed
No estoy de acuerdo con él I don’t agree with him
¿Cuál es su opinión? What is your opinion?
¿Cuál es tu opinión? What is your opinion?
¿Qué piensa? What do you think?
¿Qué piensas, Roberto?
¿Qué piensan ustedes?

Me interesa It interests me
Me interesa mucho, muchísimo It interests me a lot, very much
Desafortunadamente no me interesa Unfortunately it doesn’t interest me
MT SPANISH BUIILDER (2006 Ed) 25/9/07 10:22 am Page 10

Creo que ... I think that ...

10
Creo que él va a estar allí ... I think that he will be there ...
... esta tarde ... this afternoon
Es demasiado tarde para hacerlo It’s too late to do it

tarde means ‘late’ as well as ‘afternoon’; es tarde is ‘it is late’

Creo que él va a estar aquí esta I think that he is going to be here

noche tonight
Veremos, vamos a ver We will see

No será posible ... It won’t be possible ...

... hacerlo así ... to do it like this, in this way
No lo creo I don’t think so, I don’t believe it

Seguro, seguramente sure, surely

Claro Of course
Naturalmente Naturally
Claro que estoy seguro Of course I’m sure

Mira / Mire ... Look ...

... está sobre la mesa ... it’s on the table
¿Puede ponerlo, podría ponerlo ... Will / Can you put it, could you put it ...
... debajo de la mesa? ... under the table?

Es necesario ... It is necessary ...

Tenemos que ... We have to ...
Hay que ... One must ...
... ir allí ... to go there
No es necesario / No It is not necessary to buy it ...
hay que comprarlo ...
... porque es muy caro ... because it is very expensive

Necesito, lo necesito I need, I need it

No lo necesito ahora I don’t need it now
Es todo lo que necesito It is all I need

Note the use of lo que in the middle of the sentence (literally ‘all what I need’)

Esto / Eso es todo lo que necesito This / That is all I need

Es todo lo que quiero It is all I want
¿Esto es todo lo que quiere? Is this all you want?
Quiero algo más I want something else
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¿Necesita algo más? Do you need anything else?

11
No gracias, esto es todo No thank you, that’s all
¿Puede mostrarme ...? Will you / Can you show me?
Sí, voy a mostrarle, le muestro Yes, I’ll show you

PRESENT TENSE USED FOR FUTURE

mostrar means ‘to show’
muestro means ‘I show, I’ll show’; le muestro, ‘I’ll show you’
The future is often expressed by the present tense in Spanish

¿Puede / podría decirme ... Will you / Can you / Could you tell me ...
... a qué hora va a estar listo? ... what time it is going to be ready?
... a qué hora estará listo? ... what time it will be ready ?

Voy a informarme I will find out

(literally, inform myself)
Necesito cierta información I need certain information
Tengo que informarme I have to find out
Voy a decirle mañana, le diré mañana I will tell you tomorrow

poder means ‘to be able’; podré I will be able

No voy a poder, no podré ... I will not be able ...

... hacerlo ... to do it
No podrá venir con nosotros He will not be able to come with us
No va a poder venir con nosotros He isn’t going to be able to
come with us

buscar means ‘to look for’

Lo busco, lo estoy buscando ... I am looking for it ...

... pero no puedo encontrarlo ... but I can’t find it

¿Tiene algo para mí? Do you have something for me?

No, no tengo nada No, I don’t have anything,
I have nothing
Ya no tengo más I don’t have it any longer, any more
Hay un mensaje para usted There is a message for you
Hay unos mensajes para usted There are some messages for you
¿Hay mensajes para mí? Are there messages for me?
¿Hay algún mensaje para mí? Is there any message for me?
Sí, hay algunos Yes, there are some
MT SPANISH BUIILDER (2006 Ed) 25/9/07 10:22 am Page 12

¿Cuánto es? How much is it?

12
¿Cuánto es esto / eso? How much is this / that?
¿Cuánto cuesta? How much does it cost?
¿Cuál es el precio? What is the price?
¿Cuánto vale? How much is it worth?
No vale mucho It’s not worth much
¿Cuánto le debo? How much do I owe you?

debo means ‘I must, I’m supposed to, I should’

¿Qué debo hacer? is ‘What should I do?’
Debo salir is ‘I must go out’

Está muy bien It’s fine, all right

Está bien así It’s OK like this

Me parece que / creo que ... I think that ...

... va a decidir / decidirá hacerlo ... he will decide to do it

Voy a hacerlo ... I’m going to do it ...

... inmediatamente / ahora mismo ... immediately / right now
... en seguida ... right away
Quiero hacerlo I want to do it
Me gustaría hacerlo I would like to do it

me gusta means ‘I like’, me gustaría ‘I would like’

Me gustaría saber ... I would like to know ...

... a qué hora ... ... at what time ...
... él puede / podrá / podría ... ... he can / will be able to / could ...
... estar aquí ... be here

olvidar means ‘to forget’

No olvidaré / no voy a olvidar ... I will not forget ...

... decirle / darle ... to tell / to give you / him / her / them
... dárselo ... to give it to you / him / her / them

Voy a dárselo a usted I’m going to give it to you

Tengo ganas de hacerlo ... I feel like doing it. ...
... pero no sé si puedo hacerlo ahora ... but I don’t know if I can do it now

No vale la pena ... It’s not worth the trouble ...

... ir allí ... to go there / going there
MT SPANISH BUIILDER (2006 Ed)
Podemos ir allí si quiere / si quieres
¿Quiere / quieres venir conmigo?
Me gustaría ir con usted / contigo
¿Le gustaría / Te gustaría venir
conmigo?
Sí, claro que sí / ¿cómo no?
Me gustaría mucho
Con mucho gusto
Gracias por su gentileza
De acuerdo / Vale
Esto / Eso me gusta
Es una buena idea
Tiene razón
Tiene toda la razón
Tiene razón y estoy de acuerdo
con usted
Me gusta quedarme aquí ...
... porque estoy cansado
Me gusta descansar
Voy a descansar ...
... un poco / un rato
... porque estoy muy cansado
¿Vale la pena ir a verlo esta noche?
No, no vale la pena
¡Es increíble!
No lo creo
Es increíble lo que me dice
Es magnífico / extraordinario
Es excelente
Esto es muy interesante
Me interesa mucho verlo
Estoy muy interesado
Me interesa mucho ir a verlo
Ella es encantadora
Me gusta mucho ir allí con usted
25/9/07 10:22 am Page 13
We can go there if you want
13
Do you want to come with me?
I’d like to go with you
Would you like to come
with me?
Yes, of course / why not?
I’d like to very much
With much pleasure
That’s nice of you
Agreed, OK
This / That pleases me, I like it
It’s a good idea
You are right
You are quite right
You are right and I agree
with you
I like to stay / staying here ...
... because I’m tired
I like to rest
I’m going to rest ...
... for a little / for a while
... because I’m very tired
Is it worth going to see it tonight?
No, it’s not worth it
It’s incredible!
I don’t believe it
It’s incredible what you’re telling me
It’s great / magnificent / extraordinary
It’s excellent
This is very interesting
It interests me a lot to see it
I am very interested
I’m very interested to go and see it
She is very charming, lovely, nice
I like very much to go there with you
MT SPANISH BUIILDER (2006 Ed)
Lo siento
14
Siento decirle ...
... que no puedo ir a verlo
... con usted / contigo esta noche
Siento decirle ...
... que no podría ir a verlo
... porque estoy muy ocupado
... porque estaré, voy a estar
muy ocupado
Tengo que hacerlo
Tendría que hacerlo
Tiene que hacerlo
Tendría que hacerlo
Tendríamos que ir allí
Tendría que decirme
Debería hacerlo
Debería esperarme
Me gusta mucho / Me encanta viajar
de vacaciones means ‘on holiday’
Creo que me voy de vacaciones ...
... primero a España
... y luego, más tarde a Italia
Me gustaría ...
... verle / ir a verle
Creo que voy a salir pronto ...
... porque no puedo esperar
¿Cuándo cree que va a salir?
Pienso salir pronto
¿Cuándo piensa salir?
Espero salir pronto
¿Cuánto tiempo piensa ...
... quedarse en Madrid?
Pienso quedarme una semana
en España
25/9/07 10:22 am Page 14
I’m sorry
I’m sorry to tell you ...
... that I can’t go to see it
... with you tonight
... I’m sorry to tell you ...
... that I wouldn’t be able to go
and see it
... because I’m very busy
... I shall be / I’m going to be
very busy
I have to do it
I would have to do it
He has to do it
He would have to do it
We would have to go there
You should tell me
I should do it
You should wait for me
I like very much to travel
I think I’m going on holiday ...
... first to Spain
... and then, later to Italy
I would like ...
... to see him / to go and see him
I think I’m going to leave soon ...
... because I can’t wait
When do you think you will leave?
I think I’ll leave soon
When do you think you’ll leave?
I hope to leave soon
How long do you think ...
... you’ll stay in Madrid?
I think I’ll stay a week in Spain
MT SPANISH BUIILDER (2006 Ed) 25/9/07 10:22 am Page 15

Tengo ganas de ... I feel like ...

15
... ir al cine esta noche ... going to the cinema tonight
... para ver una película ... (in order) to see a film, a picture
una película interesante an interesting picture
Ella no tiene ganas de ir allí She doesn’t feel like going there ...
... esta noche, quizás mañana ... tonight, perhaps tomorrow

Pienso salir / irme ... I think I’ll leave / go away ...

... la semana que viene ... next week
... el mes que viene ... next month
... o en dos semanas ... or in two weeks

Quiero tenerlo I want to have it

Voy a comprarlo I’m going to buy it
No voy a comprarlo porque ... I’m not going to buy it because ...
... es demasiado caro ... it’s too expensive
... es muy caro ... it’s very expensive
No pienso comprarlo I don’t plan to buy it

pensar ‘to think’ is used for planning

esperar ‘to hope’ also means ‘to expect’

No tengo la intención de comprarlo I don’t intend to buy it

PRONUNCIATION OF LETTER ‘C’

The letter ‘c’ followed by ‘i’ or ‘e’ is pronounced ‘th’ in Castilian Spanish but ‘s’ in other parts of the
Spanish-speaking world. But before ‘a’, ‘o’, ‘u’ it is always ‘k’.
You’ll hear ‘intenthión’ in Castilian Spanish, but ‘intensión’ in many other parts of Spain and in
Latin America. Another example: ‘Barthelona’ and ‘Barselona’.

No tengo la intención de hacerlo I don’t intend to do it

ENGLISH WORDS ENDING IN ‘-TION’

Lots of words ending in -tion in English end in -ción in Spanish.
Other examples: condición, reservación, confirmación, etc.

Pienso ir allí con usted I plan to go there with you

Espero ir allí con usted I expect / I hope to go there with you
Voy a tomarlo I’m going to take it
Va a estar listo pronto It will be ready soon

¿A qué hora ... At what time ...

... va a estar aquí? ... are you going to be here?
MT SPANISH BUIILDER (2006 Ed) 25/9/07 10:22 am Page 16

No tengo tiempo de hacerlo I don’t have time to do it

16
No tiene tiempo de hacerlo He doesn’t have time to do it
No tenemos tiempo de hacerlo We don’t have time to do it
¿Cuánto tiempo tiene? How much time do you have?
No sé cuándo ... I don’t know when ...
... va a estar / estará listo ... it will be ready
Creo que ... I think ...
... va a estar / estará listo pronto ... it will be ready soon

abrir means ‘to open’; abro is ‘I open’, ‘I’m opening’

cerrar means ‘to close’; cierro is ‘I close’, ‘I’m closing’

¿Debo abrir la ventana? Should I open the window?

¿Abro la ventana? Shall I open the window?
Cierro la puerta I’m closing the door
¿Cierro la puerta? Shall I close the door?

ASKING QUESTIONS
All you have to do to change a statement (I’m closing the door) into a question (Shall I close the
door?) is to make it sound like a question, with the right inflexion in your voice. The order of the
words doesn’t change.
In written Spanish you put a question mark ¿ at the beginning as well as ? at the end of the
question.

Le espero I’m waiting for you

¿Le espero? Shall I wait for you?
¿Le acompaño? Shall I accompany you?
¿Voy / vengo con usted? Shall I go / come with you?
Le llamo más tarde / mañana I’ll call you later / tomorrow
¿Le llamo más tarde? Shall I call you later?
Salimos We are leaving
¿Salimos? Shall we leave?
Vamos a hacerlo We are going to do it
¿Qué vamos a hacer? What shall we do?

Yo sé que no va a poder hacerlo I know he won’t be able to do it

Tengo que ir a verlo I have to go and see it

Voy a ir a verlo I am going to see it

Iba a verlo He was going to see it

Iba a hacerlo I was going to do it
MT SPANISH BUIILDER (2006 Ed) 25/9/07 10:22 am Page 17

No iba a hacerlo He wasn’t going to do it

17
No iba a decirle ... I wasn’t going to tell you ...
... que iba a hacerlo para usted ... that I was going to do it for you
Iba a comprarlo I was going to buy it
No iba a encontrarlo I wasn’t going to find it
Él iba a estar aquí esta mañana He was going to be here
this afternoon
No iba a esperar I wasn’t going to wait
No iba a esperarle I wasn’t going to wait for you

Sé, lo sé, no lo sé I know, I know it, I don’t know it

No sé dónde está I don’t know where it is
No puedo encontrarlo I can’t find it
¿Puede decirme dónde está? Can you tell me where it is?
¿Podría decirme? Could you / would you be able
to tell me?
Tengo que saberlo I have to know (it)

saber means ‘to know’

sé means ‘I know’; sabe, ‘he/she knows’, ‘you know’; sabes ‘you know’ (informal); saben ‘you
know’, ‘they know’

¿Qué sabe? What do you know?

¿Por qué no lo sabes? Why don’t you know (it)?
(to a friend)
Nadie sabe dónde está Nobody knows where it is
Nadie puede encontrarlo Nobody can find it

sabía means ‘I knew’, ‘ he/she knew’, ‘you knew’; sabías is ‘you knew’ (informal); sabían ‘you
knew’, ‘they knew’

Lo sabía I knew (it)

No lo sabía
No sabía que usted iba a estar aquí
No iba a decirle ...
... que iba a comprarlo para usted
I didn’t know (it)
I didn’t know you were going
to be here
I wasn’t going to tell you ...
... that I was going to buy it for you

llegar means ‘to arrive’

No sabía que ... I didn’t know ...

... iba a llegar hoy ... you were going to arrive today
Yo sabía que todo iba a estar listo I knew everything was going
to be ready
MT SPANISH BUIILDER (2006 Ed) 25/9/07 10:22 am Page 18

Sé que nunca ... I know that I never ...

18
... voy a poder / podré hacerlo así ... will be able to do it that way

Recording 2
¿Qué hay? What is there?

¿Qué hay? can also mean ‘What’s up?’, ‘What’s the matter?’,
‘What’s going on?’

¿Qué hay para comer? What is there to eat?

¿Qué hay para beber? What is there to drink?

ofrecer means ‘to offer’

¿Puedo ofrecerle algo ... Can I offer you something ...

... para beber? ... to drink?
Sí, pero primero tengo que ... Yes, but first I have to ...
... hacer una llamada telefónica ... make a phone call
... llamar por teléfono ... telephone
Y después, voy a salir And afterwards I’m going to leave

PRONUNCIATION OF THE LETTER ‘Z’

The letter ‘z’ is always ‘th’ in Castilian and ‘s’ elsewhere

la primera vez the first time

la segunda vez the second time
la tercera vez the third time
la próxima vez the next time
dos veces two times, twice
muchas veces many times
Voy a hacerlo muchas veces I’m going to do it many times

No tengo ganas de hacerlo I don’t feel like doing it

No tengo ganas de ir allí solo I don’t feel like going there alone
Voy a hacerlo I’m going to do it
Iba a hacerlo I was going to do it
No sabía que iba a estar aquí I didn’t know you were going
to be here
MT SPANISH BUIILDER (2006 Ed) 25/9/07 10:22 am Page 19

If you need clarifiers, put them in!

Add yo, tú, él / ella, usted where necessary 19

Yo no sabía que usted iba I didn’t know you were going

a estar aquí to be here
Él no sabía que ella iba a He didn’t know she was going
estar aquí to be here
No sabía que iba a salir ... I didn’t know you were going
to leave ...
... esta tarde ... this afternoon

Vamos a empezar ... We are going to start ...

... pronto / en seguida ... soon / right away
... inmediatamente ... immediately
Voy a esperar I’m going to wait
Iba a esperar He was going to wait
No iba a esperar He wasn’t going to wait
No sabía ... I didn’t know ...
... que iba a estar aquí ... ... that you were going to be here ...
... hoy / esta mañana ... today / this morning
No sabía ... I didn’t know
... que iban a estar aquí ... that you were (all) going to be here

Generalmente ... Generally / usually ...

ENGLISH WORDS ENDING IN ‘-LY’

The ending -ly in English is usually -mente in Spanish.
‘specially’ is especialmente

... no lo hago así ... I don’t do it that way

= ESPECIAL
SPECIAL
Words beginning sp-, st- or sc- in English usually start esp-, est- or esc- in Spanish: ‘Spain’ is
España; ‘student’ estudiante; ‘school’ escuela.

ENGLISH WORDS ENDING ‘-TY’

Words ending in -ty usually end in -tad or -dad in Spanish:
especialidad; libertad; oportunidad; cualidad

Generalmente no me gusta hacerlo Generally I don’t like doing it

Generalmente no voy allí Generally I don’t go there
A menudo Often
Frecuentemente Frequently
Casi nunca voy allí I almost never go there
MT SPANISH BUIILDER (2006 Ed) 25/9/07 10:22 am Page 20

acabar means ‘to finish’

20 acabo de + infinitive (to have just ...) is an easy way of expressing the past tense!

Acabo de ... I have just ...

Acabo de verlo I have just seen it
Acaba de salir He has just left
Acabo de llegar ... I have just arrived ...
... hace dos días ... two days ago
Acaba de llamarme ... He has just called me ...
... hace diez minutos ... ten minutes ago
Ella acaba de salir / de irse She has just gone out / left
Acabo de decirle I have just told you
Acabo de comprarlo I have just bought it
Acabo de hablar con él I have just spoken to him
Acaba de decirme He has just told me

volver means ‘to come back’, ‘return’

Voy a volver / Volveré ... I’ll come back ...

... en seguida / pronto ... right away / soon
Va a volver / Volverá ... She will come back ...
... muy pronto / más tarde ... very soon / later
Acaba de salir hace diez minutos ... She has just left ten minutes ago ...
... y va a volver / volverá más tarde ... and she’ll come back later

No tengo ganas de salir ahora ... I don’t feel like going out now ...
... porque estoy muy ... because I’m very tired
cansado / cansada

preferir means ‘to prefer’; prefiero ‘I would rather ...’

Prefiero ... I would rather / I would prefer to ...

... quedarme aquí ... stay here

Acabo de comprar un libro ... I have just bought a book ...

... que encuentro muy interesante ... that I find very interesting
Lo encuentro muy interesante I find it very interesting
Creo que es muy interesante I think it is very interesting

Hace diez minutos que le espero I have been waiting ten minutes
for you
MT SPANISH BUIILDER (2006 Ed) 25/9/07 10:22 am Page 21

To say how long you have been waiting, doing something, working etc. use hace (literally ‘it
makes’) + que + the present tense. 21

¿Cuánto tiempo hace que ... How long ...

... está aquí en Madrid? ... have you been here in Madrid?

Quisiera / Me gustaría / Quiero I would like ...

... hablar con él
... verlo
No está allí
¿A qué hora va a estar / estará aquí?
¿Sabe a qué hora ...
... va a llegar / llegará / llega?
... va a volver / volverá / vuelve?
Puede / Podría decirme ...
... a qué hora estará / va a estar aquí?
... to talk to him
... to see it
He isn’t in / isn’t there
What time will he be here?
Do you know what time ...
... he will arrive?
... he will come back / return?
Can / Could you tell me ...
... what time he will be here?

irse means ‘to leave’, ‘to go away’

dejar means ‘to leave (behind)’ and also ‘to let’ (someone do something)

dejar la llave to leave the key

dejar un mensaje
¿Puede dejarme trabajar?
Me gustaría dejar un mensaje
¿Puedo dejar un mensaje?
¿Puedo dejarle un mensaje?
¿Puede / Podría decirme ...
¿Puede / Podría decirle ...
... que le llamaré más tarde?
... que le llamaré mañana?
... que le llamaré la semana que
viene?
to leave a message
Can you let me work?
I’d like to leave a message
Can I leave a message?
Can I leave you a message?
Can / Could you tell me ...?
Can / Could you tell him ...
... that I’ll call him later?
... that I’ll call him tomorrow?
... that I’ll call him next week?

la próxima vez next time

THREE WORDS FOR ‘TIME’

vez has the sense of one of a number of occasions
tiempo is the general word for a period or passing of time
hora is the point of time marked on a clock

una vez, dos veces once, twice

tres, cuatro, cinco veces three, four, five times
seis, siete, ocho veces six, seven, eight times
MT SPANISH BUIILDER (2006 Ed) 25/9/07 10:22 am Page 22

nueve, diez veces nine, ten times

22
once, doce, trece veces eleven, twelve, thirteen times
catorce, quince veces fourteen, fifteen times
la primera vez the first time
Es la última vez It’s the last time

expresar means ‘to express’, expresarse ‘to express oneself’

No sé cómo expresarlo I don’t know how to express it

exactamente ... exactly ...

exacto (exact) becomes exactamente (exactly).

The ‘o’ changes to ‘a’ before adding ‘-mente’
Another example: seguro becomes seguramente

No sé cómo decirlo exactamente ... I don’t know how to say it exactly ...
... en español ... in Spanish
¿Cómo lo dice en español? How do you say it in Spanish?
¿Cómo se dice en español? How does one say it in Spanish?

SPECIAL USE OF ‘SE’

Se is frequently used to mean ‘one’ or ‘you’ , or to say something
‘is done’

Se habla español aquí One speaks Spanish here

Spanish is spoken here

escribir means ‘to write’

le escribo I write to you

Me escribe a menudo He writes to me often
... frecuentemente ... frequently
¿Cómo se escribe? How do you write it / spell it?
¿Puede escribirlo? Can you write it down?
Escríbalo, por favor Write it down, please
Se puede ... One can / It is possible / allowed ...
¿Se puede entrar aquí? Can one come in?
¿Se puede hacerlo? Can one do it?
¿Se puede pasar? Can one pass / come in?
¿Dónde se puede encontrarlo? Where can one find it?

¿Está seguro de esto? Are you sure about this?

absolutamente / totalmente absolutely / totally
Sí, estoy absolutamente seguro Yes, I’m absolutely sure
MT SPANISH BUIILDER (2006 Ed) 25/9/07 10:22 am Page 23

Note that you say seguro if you a man, segura if you are a woman
23
Lo sé porque ... I know because ...
... acabo de leerlo ... ... I’ve just read it ...
... en el periódico ... in the newspaper
... en el periódico de hoy ... in today’s newspaper

¿Puede / Podría decirme dónde ... Can / Could you tell me where ...
... puedo encontrar un buen restaurante? ... I can find a good restaurant?
no muy lejos de aquí not very far from here
Está muy lejos It’s very far, a long way
¿Está lejos de aquí? Is it far from here?
No, no está lejos de aquí No, it’s not far from here
Está cerca de aquí It’s near here
Puede ir a pie You can walk
¿Puedo ir a pie? Can I walk?
Se puede ir a pie One can walk
Necesito un coche I need a car

In Spain a car is un coche, but in Mexico it’s un carro

... para ir al restaurante ... to go to the restaurant

‘To rent a car’ in Spain is alquilar un coche but in Mexico it’s rentar un carro

Quisiera alquilar un coche I’d like to hire a car

¿Dónde puedo alquilar un coche? Where can I hire a car?
¿Cuánto es por día? How much is it per day?
¿Cuánto cuesta ... How much does it cost ...
... por semana? ... per week?
... por mes? ... per month?

¿dónde? asks where someone or something is; ¿a dónde? asks where someone is going
¿Dónde está? but ¿A dónde va?

¿Puede / Podría decirme ... Can you / Could you tell me ...
... a dónde ir ... ... where to go ...
... para encontrar lo que quiero? ... to find what I want?
... para encontrar lo que busco? ... to find what I’m looking for?

Me gustaría / Quisiera saber ... I would like to know ...

... lo que tengo que hacer ... ... what I have to do ...
MT SPANISH BUIILDER (2006 Ed) 25/9/07 10:22 am Page 24

... para obtener lo que quiero ... to get what I want

24
... para obtener lo que busco ... to get what I’m looking for

hay que means ‘one has to’

Quiero saber ... I want to know ...
... lo que hay que hacer ... ... what one has to do ...
... para obtenerlo ... in order to obtain it

Me gustaría saber ... I would like to know ...

... a dónde hay que ir ... ... where one has to go ...
... para obtenerlo / encontrarlo ... to have it / to find it
... para comprarlo ... to buy it

¿Puede darme una explicación? Can you give me an explanation?

explicar means ‘to explain’; una explicación is ‘an explanation’

This is an exception to the rule that most English words ending in
’-ation’ are identical in Spanish, with the ending ‘-ación’.
However, remember that most do obey this rule: información, preparación, reservación, etc.
It’s also worth noting that the verbs associated with these nouns are all -ar verbs : informar,
preparar, reservar

¿Puede explicarme dónde está? Can you tell me where it is?

Gracias Thank you
Le agradezco mucho I thank you very much
Realmente le agradezco mucho I really do thank you very much

Estoy enojado / enojada I’m angry, annoyed

Estoy muy enojado / enojada I’m very angry, annoyed

In Spain you’ll often hear: Estoy enfadado / enfadada, which also means ‘I’m annoyed, angry’

Estoy furioso / furiosa I’m furious

Me preocupa I’m worried (literally, it preoccupies me)
Me preocupa mucho I’m very worried
Me preocupa ver esto I’m worried about seeing this
No me preocupa I’m not worried
Estoy aburrido / aburrida I’m bored
Estoy muy aburrido I’m very bored
¿Está aburrido? Are you bored?
No me gusta estar aburrido I don’t like being bored

Creo que ... / Me parece que ... I think ...

... todo está bien ... everything is all right
MT SPANISH BUIILDER (2006 Ed) 25/9/07 10:22 am Page 25

Voy a verlo una vez I’m going to see it once

25
Voy a ir a verlo I’m going to go and see it
No lo veo a menudo I don’t see it often
Por lo menos ... At least ...

menos means ‘less’; más o menos means ‘more or less’

... lo veré / voy a verlo una vez ... I’ll see it once

temprano means ‘early’

¿Puede / puedes / pueden venir ... Can you come ...

... un poco más temprano? ... a little earlier?

lleno means ‘full’; llenar is ‘to fill up’

Está muy lleno It’s very full

¿Puede llenarlo? Can you fill it up?

limpio is ‘clean’; sucio is ‘dirty’

No está muy limpio It’s not very clean

Está sucio It’s dirty
Es perfecto It’s perfect
Perfectamente Perfectly

calor is ‘heat’; frío is ‘cold’

For hot weather you say hace calor (literally ‘it makes heat’)
But a hot person says tengo calor (literally ‘I have heat’)

No me gusta el calor I don’t like the heat

Hace calor / frío hoy It’s hot / cold (weather)
Tengo calor / frío I’m hot / cold
¿Tiene frío? Are you cold?
No puedo soportar el calor I can’t stand the heat

hambre is ‘hunger’, sed is ‘thirst’

Tengo hambre I’m hungry

Tengo que comer algo ... I have to eat something ...
... porque tengo hambre ... because I’m hungry
Tengo sed I’m thirsty
Tengo que beber algo ... I have to drink something ...
... porque tengo sed ... because I’m thirsty
MT SPANISH BUIILDER (2006 Ed) 25/9/07 10:22 am Page 26

Pienso / Creo que puedo hacerlo ... I think I can do it ...

26
... yo mismo ... myself

mismo means ‘self’ and also ‘same’; la misma cosa is ‘the same thing’; lo mismo is ‘the same’

Quiero lo mismo I want the same

Voy a tomar lo mismo I’m going to take / have the same
No es lo mismo It’s not the same

Estoy (muy) sorprendido I’m (very) surprised

Me sorprende It surprises me
No me sorprende It doesn’t surprise me
Esto / Eso no me sorprende This / That doesn’t surprise me

traer means ‘to bring’; dar ‘to give’; mostrar ‘to show’

¿Puede traerme algo? Can / Will you bring me something?

¿Puede darme algo? Can you give me something?
¿Puede mostrarme algo? Can you show me something?
¿Puede mostrármelo? Can you show it to me?

Note that the personal me (me) comes before the object lo (it) and that they are joined together
at the end of the infinitive

¿Puede traérmelo? Can you bring it to me?

¿Cuándo puede traérmelo ... ? When can you bring it to me ...?
... porque lo necesito y ... ... because I need it and ...
... tengo que tenerlo ... I have to have it

vivir is ‘to live’

¿Dónde vive / vives / viven? Where do you live?

¿Usted vive aquí? Do you live here?

saber is ‘to know’ in the sense of knowing a fact or some general knowledge
conocer is ‘to know’ in the sense of being acquainted with somebody or something

Sabe dónde está He knows where it is

Conozco ... I know ...
... la ciudad / el país ... the city / the country

PERSONAL ‘A’
Conocer a ... is used for ‘to know a person’. Whenever the object of a verb is a person, not a
thing, you always insert ‘a’ between the verb and the person
MT SPANISH BUIILDER (2006 Ed) 25/9/07 10:22 am Page 27

Voy a llamarle I’m going to call / phone him

27
Voy a llamar a mi amigo I’m going to call / phone my friend

querer means ‘to want’ and also ‘to love’

Lo quiere He wants it
Él quiere a su amiga He loves his girlfriend
Conozco la ciudad I know the city
Conozco a esta señora I know this lady
No conozco Madrid I don’t know Madrid
No conozco a nadie I don’t know anybody
¿Conoce esta ciudad? Do you know this city?
¿Conoce a esta señora? Do you know this lady?
¿Sabe dónde está? Do you know where it is?

Mi amigo viene aquí ... My friend comes here ...

... todos los días ... every day
Suele venir aquí He usually comes here
Suele hacerlo ... He usually does it ...
... casi todos los días ... almost every day

quizás, quizá means ‘perhaps, ‘maybe’

Quizás no le gusta ... Perhaps you don’t like ...

Quizá no le gustaría ... Perhaps you wouldn’t like ...
... quedarse aquí ... to stay here ...
... porque hay mucha gente ... because there are many people

la gente is ‘people’; tanto / tanta means ‘so much’, ‘so many’

Hay tanta gente aquí There are so many people here

Por mi parte ... For my part ...
... no voy a quedarme aquí ahora ... I’m not going to stay here now

Hay mucho ruido There’s a lot of noise

hay is ‘there is’, ‘there are ’; había ‘there was’, ‘there were’;
habrá ‘there will be’

Había mucha gente aquí ayer There were many people here
yesterday
Habrá mucha gente There will be many people
Había demasiado ruido There was too much noise
Habrá mucho ruido There will be a lot of noise
MT SPANISH BUIILDER (2006 Ed) 25/9/07 10:22 am Page 28

Habrá mucho más ruido ... There will be much more noise ...
28
Habrá mucho menos ruido ... There will be much less noise ...
... aquí mañana ... here tomorrow

Espero tener ... I hope to have ...

Espero que voy a tener ... I hope I’ll have ...
... la oportunidad / la ocasión ... ... the opportunity ...
... de verlo ... of seeing it
Espero tener la ocasión ... I hope to have the opportunity ...
... de ver a mis amigos ... to see my friends
... de visitar a mis amigos ... to visit my friends

Note the use of the personal ‘a’ again

Voy a llamar a mi amigo ... I’m going to phone my friend ...

... para saber si puede venir ... ... to find out if he can come ...
... con nosotros ... with us

vemos means ‘we see’;

nos vemos ‘we see each other’ ,’we meet’

¿A qué hora nos vemos What time shall we meet

mañana? tomorrow?
A la misma hora At the same time
A las diez At ten o’clock
Vamos a vernos / nos veremos ... We will meet ...
Nos vemos ... We’ll meet ...
... mañana a la misma hora ... tomorrow at the same time

Ahora puedo hacerme entender ... Now I can make myself understood ...
... en español ... in Spanish
Me parece que es suficiente I think that’s enough
¡Buena suerte! Good luck!
Le deseo buena suerte I wish you good luck
Adiós, hasta luego Goodbye, until soon / until later
¡Buen viaje! Have a good journey!
MT SPANISH BUIILDER (2006 Ed) 25/9/07 10:22 am Page 29

The Michel Thomas Product Range 29

• No books • No writing • Just confidence
2-hour Introductory course (CD) £14.99*
French ISBN: 978 0 340 78064 0
German ISBN: 978 0 340 78066 4
Spanish ISBN: 978 0 340 78068 8
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*These are the first 2 hours of the Foundation course.
8-hour Foundation course – 2nd edition (CD) £70
French ISBN: 978 0 340 93891 1
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5-hour Advanced course – 2nd edition (CD) £50
French ISBN: 978 0 340 93898 0
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The Review courses have been devised to allow the student at home to
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Foundation Review course (2 CDs) £20
French ISBN: 978 0 340 92937 7
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MT SPANISH BUIILDER (2006 Ed) 25/9/07 10:22 am Page 30

30 What other courses are available with Michel Thomas?

The Language Builders take the form of a ‘one-to-one’ lecture with Michel
Thomas, building on the words and phrases in his Foundation (8-hour)
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Language Builders (2 CDs) £20
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The much-anticipated Vocabulary courses carry forward the Michel
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Vocabulary courses (3 CDs) £30
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The Michel Thomas Special Editions comprise:

• The Foundation (8-hour) course on CD
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Special Editions £99
French ISBN: 978 0 340 81402 4
Italian ISBN: 978 0 340 81403 1
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Read Michel Thomas’ amazing life-story The Test of Courage, by
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MT SPANISH BUIILDER (2006 Ed) 25/9/07 10:22 am Page 31

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MT SPANISH BUIILDER (2006 Ed) 25/9/07 10:22 am Page 32

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